Springfield Falcons' preseason is officially upon us

Michael Beswick | The RepublicanNick Holden, right, is happy for another chance in Springfield after his time skating for the Falcons was cut short by injury last year.

SPRINGFIELD – Defenseman Nick Holden will have to wait for the weekend to get his first game action with the Springfield Falcons, but after all he’s been through since January, a few more days won’t matter.

Holden’s 2011-12 season with the Falcons was shortened to 25 games by injuries. He missed a month with a bad ankle, then incurred a left shoulder injury soon after he returned. He underwent surgery Jan. 28, and that was it for his season.

Now he’s back on the blades, eager to be part of what figures to be a very strong Springfield backline brigade.

“It feels good to be back. I’ve been through all the rehab and I’m feeling strong,” he said. “It’s quite a training camp, especially for the defensemen. There are 11 ‘D’ guys and only two first-years. It’ll be interesting to see how the coaches deal with that.”

The wealth of defensive talent includes John Moore and David Savard, who probably would be with Springfield’s parent Columbus Blue Jackets if not for a lockout which has shut down the NHL during a labor dispute between owners and the players’ association.

“It’s always good to have competition, and we have it at all positions,” Holden said.

Holden, 25, is among the veterans who will be held out of the lineup by new coach Brad Larsen when his Falcons play their first exhibition game Wednesday night against Providence at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough.

The Falcons also have exhibitions at home Friday against Worcester and Saturday against Providence. Their regular-season schedule in the American Hockey opens Oct. 13 with a game against the St. John’s IceCaps at the MassMutual Center.

“No one will play in all three of our exhibition games. Everybody will get a look,” Larsen said. “I was here for the last two years (as an assistant coach), so I know some of our players better than others. We need to look at everybody in these games to get as much information as we can in a short time.”

After Saturday’s game, the first round of cuts likely will be made. The Falcons have 38 players in camp, including five goaltenders. One of them, Allen York, has been set back by an injury.

After a high-intensity scrimmage Tuesday, Larsen set his lineup for the Marlborough game. His forward lines will consist of Matt Calvert-Nick Drazenovic-Tomas Kubalik; Dalton Smith-Michael Chaput-Wade MacLeod; and Trent Vogelhuber-Nathan Moon-Jake Hansen.

On defense, he’ll use the duos of Anton Blomqvist-Austin Maidasky; Will Weber-Cody Goloubef; and Greg Amadio-Theo Ruth. Curtis McElhinney and Mike Clemente will share the goaltending.

ICE CHIPS: In the weekend games, Larsen will get a look at 13 more forwards, five defensemen and goaltenders Paul Dainton and Daren Machesney ... The roster includes Ryan Johansen, a No. 1 draft pick in 2010 who spent his entire rookie season with Columbus ... Also here is Cam Atkinson, a former Boston College star who scored 29 goals for the Falcons last season before being promoted to the NHL ... Twenty-five of the players in camp spent time with the Falcons last season ... Also a Springfield veteran is Ryan Craig, who played here in 2004-05 as a Tampa Bay Lightning farmhand and is back after signing an AHL contract with the Falcons in July. 